With the days getting darker and the nights getting colder you may feel the winter blues coming on. You might notice a depletion of energy, a drop in motivation, and a reluctance to leave the house. You might even struggle with basic tasks and taking care of yourself due to a sudden low mood. Sound familiar? You’re not alone – many people, including myself, find things harder at this time of year. The following tips are the ways I personally try to make things a little easier for myself, and prioritise my mental wellbeing.
Rethink your routine
With such limited daylight available it’s important to make the most of it. Waking up even an hour earlier can extend the amount of light you see in a day and make such a difference. You may find it beneficial to set a ‘bedtime’ for yourself to be able to get up at this time. If you generally feel low on energy, aim to get 1-2 hours more sleep than you usually would – if your usual routines feel more draining than usual, you need more energy to compensate, but try to avoid oversleeping. You could also consider moving up mealtimes. I find that as soon as it gets dark I start to want dinner, and so I typically eat about an hour earlier than normal, to avoid getting cranky. As a student, rearranging your day in this way can aid your ability to study. Once it’s dark outside work is done for the day in my mind, and so it’s crucial for me to have those hours in the morning to study. Alternatively, if you are a night owl, you have new time available in the evening.
Focus on favourites
It might sound silly, but indulging in the little things you enjoy about the season can bring new light to your days. Take some time to think about anything you like about Winter and hone in on it. Hot chocolate? Stock up and try some new flavours. Excuse to stay in and read under a blanket? Set aside some time each day to do so. Cosying up by a roaring fire? Find a local pub with a wood burner. Christmas? Get those decorations up. I’ll have mine’s up on November 1st, and the only thing stopping me from having them up earlier is my Halloween-loving flatmate. Think about what brings you joy during this time, and surround yourself with it.
Breaking out of bed
I’ll admit, I am a bed rotter to my core. It’s not intentional, but due to a combination of ADHD and stress I often find it extremely difficult to motivate myself out of bed if I don’t have somewhere to be. However, I find that if I spend all day in bed on my phone, I feel lousy and even more stressed. My bad mood then makes me want to stay in bed the next day, leading to an unhealthy cycle that is difficult to break. To combat this, I place my alarm across the room so that I must get up to switch it off, and then I go directly to the shower. I try and set an alarm every day even if I don’t have to be anywhere so that I don’t waste the day. This doesn’t have to be crazy early – I normally go for half nine or ten. I have also chosen to delete Tiktok as no matter what I did I would still end up spending hours a day on it. Avoiding excessive time in bed is the thing I find hardest when I’m feeling low, but movement is so important for our mental health. Going outside for a short walk to get some sunlight and fresh air is best, but if I’m not up for that I try and at least stretch for five minutes a few times a day. It might not sound like much, but the only way to build better habits is to start.
Feed your future self
I’m not fond of cooking at the best of times, and so I regularly batch cook meals and eat the same thing for several days in a row. Despite this, when cooking day rolls around, I still often don’t want to do it, and as the year goes on and I find myself burnt out more frequently this becomes more of a recurring problem. This leads to the risk of skipping meals. So, before I reach that point, I try and set aside some meals in the freezer for Wintertime. I normally just take one of the portions when batch cooking and save it for later, but if you don’t generally prepare large quantities of food, you could set aside a night to do this. I recommend something hearty that you can pack some protein and vegetables in, like bolognese, chilli, or stew.
Every person is different, and these methods may not work for everyone. What you are able to do will be dependent on your lifestyle and your mental health state at any given time. These are simply the things I find make life a little easier, and a little more enjoyable when I feel the season getting to me. Remember, if you are struggling, connect with your community, reach out to your friends and family, and keep in mind that mental health support is available if you need it. You are not alone this Winter.